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Lake Placid Woman Dies in Three-Vehicle Crash in Winter Haven

U.S. 27 in Winter Haven shut down during evening rush hour traffic.

Polk County Sheriff's Office deputies investigate a three-vehicle accident Wednesday afternoon that left one person dead. The crash was on US 27 north of the Cypress Gardens Boulevard intersection in Winter Haven.

PAUL CRATE | LEDGER MEDIA GROUP

By RYAN E. LITTLETHE LEDGER

Published: Wednesday, March 20, 2013 at 6:32 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, March 21, 2013 at 9:26 p.m.

WINTER HAVEN | A woman was killed and five other people were sent to area hospitals when a car crossed the median on U.S. 27, striking two vehicles, according to Polk County deputies.

The crash shut down U.S. 27 northbound during busy evening rush hour traffic on Wednesday as deputies investigated the accident.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said deputies report a sedan driven by Jeffrey Harris, 21, of Lake Placid lost control while traveling southbound on U.S. 27 and crossed the median into northbound traffic. The sedan clipped an SUV driven by Raquel Fox, 39, of Reunion, sending it flipping into a guardrail, then struck a Saturn Vue head-on.

Suleyka Najera, 20, of Lake Placid, was pronounced dead at the scene. Deputies said Thursday morning it appears she was not wearing a seat belt. It is unclear if Harris was wearing a seat belt. The others involved in the crash were wearing their seat belts, deputies said.

"Any crash with injuries is sad but when you have a crash that loses a life, it just breaks your heart," Judd said. "It's changed a lot of lives forever."

The occupants of the Saturn Vue, Royce Pierson, 81, and his wife Constance Pierson, 79, of Lake Wales, and Harris were sent to Lakeland Regional Medical Center. Fox and her 16-year-old son, Rashad Fox, were taken to Heart of Florida. Deputies could not give the status of the injuries.

Judd said it is unclear why the sedan lost control. He said it was unfortunate that it happened during busy evening traffic on the popular road.

"There's no such thing as coming across this median strip without hitting something," Judd said. "The traffic that time of day is absolutely bumper to bumper."

[ Ryan Little can be reached at ryan.little@theledger.com or 863-401-6962. Follow him on Twitter @LedgerRyan ]

<p>WINTER HAVEN | A woman was killed and five other people were sent to area hospitals when a car crossed the median on U.S. 27, striking two vehicles, according to Polk County deputies.</p><p>The crash shut down U.S. 27 northbound during busy evening rush hour traffic on Wednesday as deputies investigated the accident.</p><p>Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said deputies report a sedan driven by Jeffrey Harris, 21, of Lake Placid lost control while traveling southbound on U.S. 27 and crossed the median into northbound traffic. The sedan clipped an SUV driven by Raquel Fox, 39, of Reunion, sending it flipping into a guardrail, then struck a Saturn Vue head-on.</p><p>Suleyka Najera, 20, of Lake Placid, was pronounced dead at the scene. Deputies said Thursday morning it appears she was not wearing a seat belt. It is unclear if Harris was wearing a seat belt. The others involved in the crash were wearing their seat belts, deputies said. </p><p>"Any crash with injuries is sad but when you have a crash that loses a life, it just breaks your heart," Judd said. "It's changed a lot of lives forever."</p><p>The occupants of the Saturn Vue, Royce Pierson, 81, and his wife Constance Pierson, 79, of Lake Wales, and Harris were sent to Lakeland Regional Medical Center. Fox and her 16-year-old son, Rashad Fox, were taken to Heart of Florida. Deputies could not give the status of the injuries.</p><p>Judd said it is unclear why the sedan lost control. He said it was unfortunate that it happened during busy evening traffic on the popular road. </p><p>"There's no such thing as coming across this median strip without hitting something," Judd said. "The traffic that time of day is absolutely bumper to bumper."</p><p>[ Ryan Little can be reached at ryan.little@theledger.com or 863-401-6962. Follow him on Twitter @LedgerRyan ]</p>